Without a Mayaguez, or something comparable that we don’t see in the immediate future, there is probably no one thing the President can do to himself to turn this situation around.

Teeter is arguing that the president’s political fortunes are unlikely to improve through routine messaging or incremental policy moves; what would be required is a dramatic, highly visible success akin to the 1975 Mayaguez incident—an international crisis that ends with a clear, decisive outcome and a surge of public approval. The phrasing “to himself” underscores that the problem is partly self-inflicted (or at least personally tied to the president’s standing), and that only an extraordinary event—something not “in the immediate future”—could reset public perceptions. The quote reflects a hard-nosed, polling-driven view of presidential leadership: approval can hinge on singular, symbolic moments rather than steady governance.